The grandmother of a baby girl who died after being left home alone has told an inquest she is still ‘haunted’ by her death.
Asiah Kudi, aged 20 months, died after her mother Verphy Kudi left her home alone in a Brighton flat as she went out to celebrate her 18th birthday.
Kudi returned to the flat five days, 21 hours and 58 minutes later and found Asiah dead in her cot.
The girl, who was suffering from flu, had died from dehydration and starvation in December 2019.
Kudi was jailed for nine years in August 2021 after admitting one count of manslaughter at Lewes Crown Court with Judge Christine Laing saying Asiah had suffered ‘almost unimaginable suffering’.
Asiah Kudi, aged 20 months, died after her mother Verphy Kudi left her home alone in a Brighton flat
Her mother Verphy returned to the flat five days, 21 hours and 58 minutes later and found Asiah dead in her cot
Today the toddler’s grandmother Asia Batrane broke down in tears as she recalled the tragedy during the inquest into Asiah’s death at The Freeman Centre in Brighton today
It later materialised that Verphy had left Asiah home alone in the flat at least a dozen times.
An inquest into Asiah’s death her grandmother, Asia Batrane, broke down in tears as she recalled the tragedy.
She said she had no idea her granddaughter was being left home alone and would have stepped in to help.
She said: ‘The idea of her being alone in the flat haunts me today. There is no question if I knew she had been left alone I would have gone to the flat picked her up and brought her home.
‘When she was born everyone fell in love with her instantly. She had the most beautiful dark brown eyes.
‘Even if she was doing something naughty, when I looked into her eyes I just gave in. It was impossible to be angry with her. ‘
She told the inquest Asiah loved feeding the ducks in the park and watching her grandmother cooking in the kitchen.
Breaking down in tears Miss Batrane said: ‘I avoid passing that pond now because the memories are too difficult to face.’
Kudi was jailed for nine years in August 2021 after admitting one count of manslaughter at Lewes Crown Court with Judge Christine Laing saying Asiah had suffered ‘almost unimaginable suffering’
Mobile phone footage issued by Sussex Police showed Kudi at a concert in Elephant and Castle London
Miss Batrane said Asiah was also known as Nevaeh because it meant heaven.
She said: ‘When Nevaeh was born my anxiety passed, there was six people in the room to welcome her into the world, this beautiful little baby, she was tiny.
‘My grandmother instinct to protect her kicked in. She felt closer to me than a granddaughter and more like my own daughter. Nevaeh a peaceful baby, she only cried when she was hungry or if her nappy was dirty.’
Miss Batrane said: ‘I was there for many of Naveah’s ‘firsts’. I was there when she took her first steps. When she learned how to clap, I cried.
‘On her first birthday, we made such a fuss over her. We rented out and decorated a big hall. There were three cakes and the whole family came. It was like a wedding. Everybody wore clothes to match her pink and purple dress.
‘Everyone bought her cakes and toys. She was so spoiled. She made a very big impact on our family especially because she was the only little one. She really was the centre of everyone’s attention.
‘She was such a blessing to our whole family. She reminded us what it is to love so unconditionally. It was the biggest celebration we had for her. Nobody knew that she was not going to be here for long.
‘Naveah’s family, myself, her grandfather and her aunties loved her with everything we had. We are struggling with her loss. We miss her every day.’
Miss Batrane said Asiah was also known as Nevaeh because it meant heaven
Kudi leaving her home in Brighton on December 5 2019
Screengrab taken from CCTV issued by Sussex Police of Kudi returning to her home in Brighton after abandoning 20-month-old Asiah
Miss Batrane told the inquest she was not informed of her granddaughter being left alone by her mother on several occasions before her death.
She said social services were supposed to contact her if there were concerns about her daughter’s behaviour.
She said: ‘They were supposed to contact me if they were worried about Verphy, nobody told me they needed help, no one communicated to me that Verphy was going out, no one told me Nevaeh was being left alone. I did not find Nevaeh was alone until the trial.’
The inquest in Brighton was told Verphy Kudi had been bullied in secondary school and had gone missing on more than one occasion.
Kudi had once gone missing from high school for seven weeks and later told her mother she was pregnant.
The hearing was told social services stepped in and Kudi did spend six months in a residential children’s home .
Miss Batrane told the hearing she did not know the identity of the Asiah’s father or how her daughter became pregnant.
She said: ‘I was worried about how she got pregnant and whether she would be able to take care of her baby.
‘I had many conversations with her about responsibility of having having a baby. I told her it was her choice and I would support her either way.
‘When she said she wanted to have a baby I decided in that that moment that whatever happened even if she wasn’t able to take care of her baby because of her age I would take over and take care for the baby.’
Verphy gave birth to Asiah in March 2018 when she was 16 and mother and baby were still under the care of social services.
They moved one of eight flats in a supported housing unit in Brighton run by YMCA DownsLink which has staff on the premises 24 hours a day.
On December 5 2019 Asiah was left alone with no food or water in her cot while her mother went out partying.
Verphy Kudi travelled to London, Coventry and Solihull – more than 150 miles away – to celebrate her 18th birthday with friends.
On the day her daughter died Kudi was on social media trying to sell concert tickets and attempting to launch her own modelling career.
The trial heard she returned to her flat when Asiah had been home alone five days 21 hours and 58 minutes but did not call emergency services for more than two hours.
In that time she was seen emptying bags into a communal bin area before going back to her flat.
She eventually dialled 999 at 6.06pm and told the call handler after her daughter was ‘not waking up’.
She told paramedics Asiah had been sleeping all day she had given her milk and Calpol and let her sleep.
Asiah – who paramedics noticed had signs of rigor mortis – was rushed to hospital where she was pronounced dead
The trial heard that in the three months leading up to her death there were at least six other occasions she left Asiah alone in the flat – once for two whole days.
Last year a safeguarding review by the Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership was published.
It found found Asiah’s death could not have been predicted as staff at the YMCA Downslink believed Verphy was a capable and loving parent.
However the body’s independent report made 17 recommendations, including bringing in a system of daily checks at YMCA Downslink.
It also recommended regularly reviewing every young parent in supported accommodation, and reviewing how risks are assessed.
The inquest into Asiah Kudi’s death, which is expected to last five days, continues.
